- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.3T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
257kW, 440Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2016 Ford Focus RS review
I recently purchased Ford’s ultimate performance car. I’d had my eye on it for quite some time, and I am blown away with how much fun it is. I’ve owned a Ford Focus XR5 turbo for eight years that I love to bits. However, I did not expect the upgrade to be so impressive.
- Looks
- Speed
- Handling around corners
- The engine/exhaust sound
- Interior styling
- Possible recall for head gasket issues
- Can’t legally use Drift mode unless in confined environment
I’ve always been a fan of the hot hatch, and to find a Focus that is only 0.5sec slower than the AMG A45 in the 0–100km/h time frame that is significantly cheaper was a dream come true.
The overall look of this car is sporty but stylish. I purchased my favourite colour combo – black with black rims. I have since added some cosmetic mods to it, including pink pinstriping and matte-black GT stripes, along with changing the calipers from Nitrous Blue to pink to match the pinstriping. My car ('HeRShel' as he has fondly been named) is certainly a unique-looking car and very much reflects my taste.
There are four drive modes available including Drive, Sport, Drift and Track. I am yet to take it out on the track or use Drift more, but Sport mode provides plenty of pops and bangs, and the handling around corners is insane. It's so grippy with the Michelin tyres and AWD.
The interior is comfortable and includes suede/leather combo Recaro seats. These are the most unflattering seats to get in and out of, and have caused much pain on occasion navigating my way in and out of the car. But once you are seated, the seats are ridiculously comfortable. They do not offer the same adjustments that the leather Recaros in the XR5 do, but somehow they just work.
The interior has the signature RS blue features throughout, including stitching on the steering wheel and seats, which is a nice touch.
The Sync 2 system is great. It includes sat-nav, access to digital radio stations, and syncs perfectly with my iPhone. I cannot comment on its compatibility with Android though. The steering wheel has controls for radio, phone and cruise control.
I think it is also worth noting that the handbrake is a traditional handbrake and not electronic. I suppose with Drift mode one needs a traditional handbrake.
Everyone I have spoken to, who has either driven the MK3 RS or owns one, never has a bad word to say about the way this car drives. Handling is great, it gets up to speed with ease, has all the mod cons, provides the pops and bangs that we performance Focus drivers love so much, and is a damn good-looking car at that.
If you are a car enthusiast and haven’t taken one for a drive, you’re certainly missing something in your life.